The Boathouse Ghost
by funnyfanwolf
Summary: I watched the lastest Harry Potter film and got inspired when I once again heard Snape's story. I like this story but I know I made Snape be in the wrong place, I feel stupid now becuase he died in the Shreiking Shack. I'm sorry about that


The snow had slowly begun to melt over Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The whiteness that had lasted all winter began to fade, leaving horrible brown slush around the courtyard and the paths. But even though the cold, dark winter was still visible in the grounds, the grass was slowly beginning to peer through the ground, there were even some buds coming through on the trees and the dark forest had begun to turn green and more inviting then before. The smell of hot chocolate come flooding down from the common rooms and the great hall where breakfast was being served, hot toast, sausages, beans and bacon. The sound of the birds in the air filled the school with happiness and contentment, a few children sometimes glanced up to them, watching in splendour as they glided and soared through the air.

Rose and Albus walked together across the courtyard, it was a free period, though neither felt like heading back to the common room, instead, they talked and wandered around the grounds,for there was so much more to find and see in the school of which they had not yet discovered.

"Have you seen James recently?" Rose asked Albus, flipping her long ginger hair out of her face.

"Last thing I heard is that he was trying to ask that girl Demi out," Albus answered "But I don't think she'll ever fall for a guy like him."

"I'll say, he's to much of a joker," Rose giggled "Where do you want to go now? How about to visit Hagrid? I heard Buckbeak has come to visit him."

"Okay then, but if that thing snaps at me, I'm blaming you!" And they wandered off down to Hagrid's house when they reached the top of the hill however they found non-other than Scorpius Mawfoy with his group of slitherin boys.

Albus had nothing against Scorpius, if anything, he saw him more as a sort of friend than an enemy, from what he'd heard, his father was saved by Albus's own father in the past and even Scorpius knew this.

As they approached, the blonde-headed boy turned to them and paused, but just gave a slight nod to them and turned back to talking with his friends. When Albus had been put under the sorting hat, the hat had debated whether or not to put him in Griffindor or Slitheren, of course, Albus and Rose had been placed into Griffindor, just like their parents. But even though he had been placed in his desired house, Albus still felt that part of him belonged in Slitheren. He didn't know why. But with the Slitheren house knowing this, they seemed to be kinder to Albus more than others. Even if this was unnatural, he couldn't have been happier.

"Hagrid!" Rose called as the two reached the bottom of the hill, they saw the giant man cutting away at a pile of wood as they came towards him. The giant looked up to them and smiled warmly.

"Rose! Albus! Come on down!" He yelled at them, when they reached him, his smile grew bigger "I sometimes forget how much you resemble your parents!" The two smiled awkwardly back "Ah, anyway, how you two been, I hope your brother hasn't got into any more trouble Albus!"

"Same as always," the boy answered and peered around Hagrid "What you doing?"

"Ah!" Hagrid turned back to the wood "Because Buckbeak is back I need to set up a little shelter for him, apparently we may be getting rain tonight? Feel it?" He looked up to the sky and sure enough, it was beginning to get duller "I need to set this up before it chucks it down."

"Anything we can do to help?" Albus asked.

"As a matter o' fact you can lad," Hagrid said and turned to them "Flitch went fishing for me today, the fish are for Buckbeak, he left them down at the boat house for me to pick up, but because of this rain comin' along, I reckon I won't have time and Buckbeak get quite cranky if he doesn't get his dinner, you two think you can go fetch them for me?"

Albus and Rose looked at each other "Okay then," Rose smiled.

"Excellent!" The giant boomed "They may be two baskets of the things down there, one for each of ya!"

"We'll see you in a bit Hagrid!" Albus called to him as they turned and went back up the hill.

"Ah, just like his dad," Hagrid sighed and carried on with his work.

The boat house was old, smelly and damp, but sure enough, the fish was there just as Hagrid said they were. Rose picked up one of the baskets of them and turned her head away in disgust.

"Urg!" She cried "This stinks, urrggg!"

"We did offer," Albus pointed out and turned to the other basket but pulled away holding his nose "But I do agree, it reeks!"

"Come on then," the ginger girl said "The sooner we drop these of the better, urg! Come on then hurry up!"

Albus picked the basket up and followed Rose towards the door when he lost grip of the thing and the fish in the basket flew everywhere. "Ah!" The boy cried out in surprise.

"Well thats just great!" Rose yelled at him.

"Its okay, its okay!" calmed Albus "You take your load, I'll catch up to you, yeah?"

Rose sighed and nodded annoyingly and she vanished through the doorway, Albus listened to her footsteps leave until they faded away back to the school.

Shaking his head at his stupidity, Albus began to clean the mess up, picking up each foul smelling fish then ponking it back into the basket, turning up his nose at the smell. When they were all finally in the basket, he nodded in satisfaction and went to pick it up. Then he heard a noise.

The young wizard stood up, looking around. There was nobody else in here but him.

"Hello?" He called out but there was no reply. _I'm imagining things_, he thought and picked the basket up, turning to leave. But there it was again, a slight rustle of wind, or something tapping wood, Albus nearly dropped the basket again in surprise but steadied himself and turned to look where the noise was coming from. Nothing. But he was still curious and so put the basket down, drawing out his wand in caution.

"Hello?" He called out again, no answer "Is anybody there?" He walked around a upturned boat, pointing is wand out defencelessly and then he saw it, standing facing the wall, a ghost.

Albus wasn't surprised, he'd seen plenty of ghosts in Hogwarts, including Moaning Myrtle and Nearly-headless Nick. Who hadn't seen a ghost in Hogwarts? What did surprise him though was that he didn't know there was a ghost in the boathouse, it must have been a boating accident or something that made this poor soul go.

"Hello?" Albus asked again, directly at the ghost.

The figure turned to him, revealing sad looking eyes, the ghost wore a long robe and his hair was long too. He stared at Albus in the most melancholy way that the wizard already felt sorry for him. "Who are you?" Albus asked him, but the ghost just turned back round sadly.

There was a pause of which nether living or dead made a sound.

"I didn't know there was a ghost in the boathouse," Albus said, wanting to break the silence.

"Nobody really does," the ghost said, his voice was like a whisper, or a hiss, neither in a horrid way, it was filled with guilt and pity.

"Why? Haven't you ever shown yourself to anyone before?" Albus asked.

"No," The ghost said "I didn't know you were here either."

"What's your name?"

The ghost flinched suddenly, but remained silent and didn't answer the question.

"My name is Albus," said the boy, trying to make the man feel more comfortable.

At the sound of his name, the ghost stood straight and turned slowly, seeing the young wizard properly for the first time, its eyes widen in shock and surprise and Albus backed away causiously.

"Errr, you okay?"

The ghost stopped and turned away slightly "Never mind, you just... you just remind me of someone."

"Okay then..." Albus said.

"If you don't mind me asking, what house are you in?" The ghost asked and floated towards Albus, its sliver and white aura glowing behind him.

"Erm... Griffindor," Albus answered and the ghost nodded slowly, turned away as he did so "Though I was nearly placed in Slitheren." The ghost continued nodding and turned again to face the wall.

Albus curiously went to stand next to the man, slowy edging towards him and then he noticed what the ghost was looking at. A bunch of flowers had been placed there and along the floor and wall, Albus noticed dull stains that had been tried to washed away. Obviously it did not work but Albus distinctivly recognised it as blood, old and worn and still fading, though very slowly, what kind of boating accident was this?

"Who are they from?" Albus asked, but the slight wobble in his voice were still visable.

The ghost hesitated for a moment and then said "My son."

"That was nice of him then wasn't it?" Albus said but cursed to himself saying how childish that sentecne sounded.

"Yes," the ghost said and slightly smiled "It was." He turned away and floated to the edge of the water, staring out onto the lake through the boat entrance. "Tell me, whats your full name? Your last name?"

Albus hestitaed, wondering why the ghost needed to know so much about him, whether or not he should be telling him this, but then again, this man was dead, so he could not hurt him, scare him perhaps, but not hurt him.

"My name is Albus Potter," Albus said to the ghost "Albus Serverus Potter."

The ghost quickly turned again, eyes wide once more, at first in shock but then smiled, not a big smile, but a smile nether-the-less and he slowly chuckled. _At least I made him feel better... somehow..._ Albus thought and stood beside the ghost again.

"Why do you need to know this?" Albus asked "Who are you? How did you die?"

The ghost stopped chuckling and turned to Albus, looking into his blue eyes "Ah," the ghost said "Just as before..."

"What?" Albus asked, impatient.

"I died over there," the ghost said, pointing to the stained wall, his face turned sad again "Killed by someone who made me do terrible things, I never got chance to say sorry you know, sorry to my son..."

"Sorry for what?" Albus asked. "Who was your son?"

He smiled in amusment " I think you know him, well perhaps... He wasn't my real son, though if I had been there to care for him when he was a child I guess he would have been..." The ghost sighed "His real father was killed you know, killed by the same man who killed me, also killed his..." This ghost paused for a moment, taking a deep breath "Also killed his mother, I've been so guilty for that night..."

Albus paused, full of smpathy for this poor man but he asked "What was his name?"

"Harry Potter," the ghost said and turned to Albus who recoiled in shock "Your father."

"M-my dad?"

"Not really my son but I have so long felt that he could have been... for her sake..." His voice faded and he turned to Albus sadly "Are you the only one?"

"N-no," Albus said, gathering that he was talking about siblings "I have a older brother and younger sister called James and Lily."

"Lily..." The ghost muttered and turned away once more, there he left a pause and finally said "I'd like to meet them one day... perhaps."

"Perhaps..." Albus said softly.

There was a crack of thunder above the boat house that suddunly bought Albus back into reality "Oh no! The fish! Hagrid!" He cried and turned back to the basket, picking it up hurriedly and rushing to the door, it had already began to rain. "Damn it!" He put the fish down and pulled his hood over his head and then went down to pick up the fish again. Albus then turned to the ghost who stood there, watching. "I have to go!" He cried over the hammering of the rain on the roof.

"Snape."

"Pardon?"

"My name is Snape, boy."

"Oh.."

"You..." Snape started but then stopped.

"What is it?" Albus asked him but the ghost just shook his head.

"Never mind..."

Albus stared at him, into those eyes, so sad and so full of guilt.

"You know my dad would have forgiven you right?" He called to the ghost, Snape, who lifted his head at these words "He forgives everyone, he named me after two headmasters of this school you know, Albus and Severus, he said Albus was the wisest and greatest man he knew and Serverus was the bravest wizard ever!" Snape remained silent "He told me Severus turned out bad at first, did something terrible, but my dad hasn't told me yet, but he said he forgave him though and that he was brave to do what he did, if my dad forgave him, he will forvgive you, thats why those flowers are there, if he put them there Snape, he probebly thought you were meant to be forgiven!"

The ghost stayed silent as Albus waved his goodbyes and ran out into the rain, Snape lifted a hand in farewell and when Albus had dissapeared, he smiled.

"You have your father's eyes..." He said.


End file.
